If Wishes Were Horses
by denise1
Summary: Prometheus missing scene, Jack angst


If Wishes were Horses  
By  
Denise

Jack snagged the last piece of cinnamon streusel coffeecake and the requisite cup of coffee, claiming a table in the corner of the commissary. He didn't have to be here, in fact, he was sort of ignoring Hammond's 'You worry too much. Why don't you get out of my office and go home before I have you shot' suggestion.

Part of Jack did want to go home, where a hot bath and heating pad for his aching knee waited. But he just couldn't go. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was horribly wrong.

Yes, Carter could more than take care of herself. And so could Jonas from all appearances. But this wasn't your run of the mill 'film at eleven' reporter they were dealing with. This woman had sources and apparently connections. Which meant who knew what else she knew. That was one reason for Teal'c to stay home. One stray wind gust and the alien really would be out of the bag.

He ate a bite of the cake, more from habit than anything else. When had it all gotten so complicated? It seemed like only yesterday when their biggest concern was Carter's program kicking out enough addresses to keep them busy and not puking up lunch after each trip.

Now they had goa'ulds and bugs. Alien impersonators and killer legos.

Backstabbing politicians, psycho millionaires and Seattle being some sort of Goa'uld Mecca. There were aliens that wanted them as hosts and others that wanted them for dinner.

They'd screwed up more than once, but somehow they'd always managed to land on their feet. They'd made as many friends as enemies and Jack knew they were still just dipping their feet in the shallow end of the baby pool.

It'd been a hell of a ride in the last six years, and he wouldn't…ok, he would change a few things.

Like Carter getting the snake…no. If they hadn't have met the Tok'ra, her dad would be dead by now. And Jack couldn't do that to her. What if…yeah, if Thor could heal dad then the Tok'ra could go screw themselves. Maybe they could have un-Jaffaed Drey'ac as well and Teal'c wouldn't have had to bury the mother of his son a few months ago.

And Daniel. Well, in a perfect world he'd be living in a house in the burbs with two kids, a dog and ubiquitous white picket fence. Instead, Shau'ri was dead after three years of hell and Daniel was off being all glowingly enigmatic.

If wishes were horses…

"May I join you O'Neill?" Jack looked up and motioned Teal'c towards an empty chair. "Major Carter is with Jonas Quinn?" he asked, sitting down.

"Yep. Off playing tour guide." Jack checked his watch. "Which should be well underway by now."

"You do not sound as if you approve of her mission."

"Damn straight I don't approve. What good is spending years denying everything if we cave to the first reporter?" Jack asked, his irritation showing in his voice.

"Julia Donovan is not the first reporter to gain evidence of the Stargate Program. I believe Armin Selig was the first."

"Yeah. And look what happened to him," Jack said bitterly. "Teal'c. I just can't shake the feeling that something is wrong. This whole situation reeks of a set-up."

"General Hammond would not do anything that placed a member of his command into jeopardy."

Jack shrugged, not wanting to voice his doubts. Teal'c did have a point. Hammond would never knowingly risk any of their lives needlessly…but the general had been a victim of someone else's machinations more than once in his life. And Jack had never asked him exactly WHERE the approval for the tour came from. "You ever qanna…change things?" Jack asked, changing the subject as he mangled his cake with his fork.

"To what are you referring, O'Neill?"

"I dunno. Let's say…What if you could go back and change things?"

"Are you speaking of traveling back in time and altering events that have already happened?"

"Sure. Why not?"

"I believe it is Major Carter's theory that such an action would likely have dire and far reaching consequences."

"Just…ignore the consequences. Pretend that there aren't any," Jack said, tossing down his fork in exasperation. "Let's say you can do anything, anywhere, any time with no consequences."

"If an event has no consequences then what is the purpose of doing it?"

"Teal'c!" Jack picked up the fork and brandished at the Jaffa.

"However, if I were given the opportunity to alter an event of my past, I fear I would be unable to choose only one."

Jack shook the fork, then relented, setting it down and picking up his cooling mug of coffee. "Ok, more than one. Let's say you can change whatever you want."

Teal'c quirked his head and frowned a bit. "I believe I would have ignored the conventions and taken Sho'nauc as my wife."

"Really?"

"I would, however, not have a son now if I had. Sho'nauc was not fertile," he said in response to Jack's raised eyebrow.

Jack shrugged. "That'd be a downside. What if you stopped Ry'ac from getting his snake?"

"Then he would most likely be dead," Teal'c said calmly. "If not from the scarlet fever, then from the staff weapon blast he suffered while Bra'tac and I attempted to destroy Anubis' weapon."

"Shau'ri," Jack said. "Don't tell me you wouldn't like to have stopped that from happening?"

"I could have prevented Shau'ri and Skaara's possession by the goa'uld. However, it was your search for Shau'ri that led to us meeting. Had that not occurred, I would still be First Prime of Apophis."

"Come on, Teal'c! There has to be something," Jack demanded, drawing the attention of others in the room as he raised his voice. "You've been alive for over a hundred years. You can't tell me there isn't something that you'd just say damn the consequences and change…what!" Jack interrupted himself, answering the slightly frantic gestures of Sargent Davis.

"Excuse me, sir. General Hammond needs to see both of you in his office right away."

"What's wrong?" Jack demanded, noting the man's expression and tone of voice.

"Major Davis called. He was monitoring the X-303. They just lost contact."

"Sometimes I hate being right," Jack muttered, getting to his feet. He and Teal'c followed the Sargent from the room, commandeering an elevator. They made it to Hammond's office in just minutes, catching the man just as he hung up the phone.

"Jack. I swear if I hear 'I told you so' I will shoot you," the older man warned.

"What's the situation, sir," Jack said, recognizing the general's mood.

"We're not certain yet. They missed their normal check in. And aren't answering their radio. It wouldn't normally be cause for concern…"

"However, given the presence Julia Donovan and her companions, it is indeed a cause for concern," Teal'c said.

Hammond nodded. "I want you two out there just in case. There's a jet on the tarmac at Peterson. It'll leave as soon as you get there."

"Umm. Sir. I'd rather Teal'c stay here," Jack said, shooting his friend an apologetic look.

"Colonel?"

"If we're facing a worse case scenario, we may need to call one of our allies for help. And I think it'd be best if it was someone they know," Jack explained.

Hammond shrugged. "Whatever you want, Colonel," he capitulated. "Keep me appraised of the situation." Jack turned and left, Teal'c following him. They retraced their steps, Jack pulling his card out of his pocket to summon the elevator.

"Teal'c," Jack turned to face his friend. "I don't want you to stay behind because of our allies." Teal'c simply cocked his eyebrow. Jack waited until the elevator arrived and they stepped into the relative privacy of the small space. "I still don't know who gave Hammond the order to let the reporters in, but I have a feeling it came from pretty high up. Just in case he gets more stupid orders, I want someone here that doesn't have to obey them," Jack said meaningfully.

Teal'c nodded, accepting his commander's decision. "I believe I have an answer to your request," Teal'c said as the elevator arrived at the surface.

"Huh?"

"As to what I would change."

"Teal'c. This isn't the time…" Jack said, shooting a glance at the waiting car.

"I believe I would have been more insistent in my efforts to journey with Major Carter and Jonas Quinn," Teal'c said.

Jack sighed and patted his friend on the shoulder, nodding his thanks. "I'll go see what kinda trouble the kids have gotten themselves into now," he said stepping into the car. "I'll call ya," he called out the open window as the car sped off. Teal'c watched him leave, then pressed the button to return back to the lower levels of the SGC.

Fin


End file.
